Ever After
by Dolli
Summary: As expected from a girl who lived in a moving castle simple things inevitably turned out complicated. An easy phrase such as ‘happily ever after’ should be as it implied, to last ever after. Sophie’s ‘ever after’ lasted all of three short days…


**A/N:** What's this? My third fanfic? With two other pieces I thought it was enough but ever since I saw the movie I've been plagued with floating ideas. So here it is: EVER AFTER. It's mostly based on Miyazaki's interpretation including names, places and characterization rather than the novel. Having said that I may sometimes borrow the chapter title format from the book. Lastly, I've only seen the Japanese version so names etc may differ in some places. Expect a fair bit of artistic licence where I am a bit shaky on the details! 

**DISCLAIMER FOR WHOLE STORY**: _Howl's Moving Castle_ belongs to Diana Wynne Jones and the animation belongs to Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli and other associated Groups/Companies/people. I am merely borrowing their creative ideas so that I may explore my own. Anything you recognize belongs to them and everything else I've made up.

ENJOY :)

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**EVER AFTER**

In Which Sophie Smiles, Wonders and Frowns…

Sophie Hatter would have described herself as a traditional type of girl. 'Set in her ways', as she would have referred to herself had she still been a 90-year-old woman. However, as traditional as she may be, she happened to live her life in the most unconventional manner. For one thing her home was a flying castle that occasionally liked to walk depending on the mood of Calcifer, the resident demon or Howl, the Wizard who owned the moving castle.

As expected from a girl who lived in a moving castle simple things inevitably turned out complicated. An easy phrase such as 'happily ever after' should be as it implied, to last ever after. Sophie's 'ever after' lasted all of three short days…

Sophie stood comfortably on the extended balcony enjoying the refreshing breeze that tousled her hair and tugged at her skirts. It was a lively breeze that carried vitality and life to her old bones- wait; she extended her hand and saw only the smoothness of youthful skin. In all honesty she had been expecting to see a skinny wrinkled hand with prominent blue veins. It was strange that she had spent more of her life being young than old but it was her older body that she was more accustomed to. Being an old woman had taught her many things but it felt good to be young again so that she may learn things anew.

Quiet as a cat Howl came to stand beside her; his hand came to rest behind her on the rail that she leaned on. Sophie tilted her head up to greet him with a smile and he returned it with a delighted boyish grin before turning his attention outward to the distant mountains that lined the horizon.

Sophie did not turn away and continued to look up to him, quietly absorbing the calm of his mood. Even now that she was no longer bent over by old age she stood no taller than his shoulder. A fact that was emphasised every time he stood beside her.

His eyes were distant; his lashes half lowered to block out the bright day as he inspected the landscape that peacefully passed them by. Sophie was as enthralled by him as she was with the beautiful view a handful of seconds before, although she took much more enjoyment in following the contours of his face than the lush land below.

It was difficult to define what she thought of Howl. Once upon a time she had thought him to be old simply because he was older than she was, but that quickly changed when he became a mere boy compared to her 90 years. What was he now? Certainly older than her natural years but his heart was that of a child's. All these years it had been locked away in Calicifer just as the fire demon was imprisoned by his magic. Howl's heart did not have the chance to mature with the rest of the boy so a child's heart it remained; pure, unaffected and innocent. Whenever Sophie closed her eyes and concentrated she could clearly recall its beating rhythm while she held it in her hands.

"You look stunning." He said fondly, his green eyes dancing with amusement.

Sophie started and blushed, realising that he had caught her staring. "Thank you." She responded, fingering the material of her summer dress as she did. It was one of the many presents from Howl and among the glitzy baubles and fanciful lace this simple frock was definitely her favourite gift. It was comfortable; the material light and the colour vibrant and most importantly it reminded her that she was young. But that wasn't to say that Sophie had abandoned her old dresses. The darker, more sombre attire that had accompanied her for a while now lay at the bottom of a trunk. Those 'old biddy dresses' as Howl often referred to them still held significant meaning for her and she had to have something practical to wear when she cleaned the castle! Sophie smiled to herself at the thought of wearing laces and ribbons with elaborate skirts while cleaning out the hearth. No, that would not do at all!

"I would love to see where it is that you wander to when you smile like that." She heard Howl say. Sophie blinked wondering why her frequent daydreaming held an odd fascination with him. Where could she go with her imagination that he could not go in person? He could make a door that led anywhere, what were her fleeting daydreams compared to his reality?

"Hmm…" Sophie felt rather like a difficult spell that he was pondering over while he held her eyes a while longer, looking deep but not intruding. "It lasts but a second." He said sounding a little wistful.

Before Sophie got the chance to ask any questions the moment passed and Howl's attention was already elsewhere as it often did with his unpredictable nature. "Hmm…this Kingdom of the Prince's does seem to be a fair distance away." He commented. The Star Lake that Sophie loved for its peacefulness was long left behind.

"It's not that far away." Sophie said smiling at his impatience; sometimes Howl was so completely child-like that she forgot that he was a grown man. At times she felt like she was looking after another Markl except this particular child was also a powerful wizard and a lot harder to deal with.

"No," he said agreeing heartily. "It's not far at all when you're here with me."

Sophie smiled and a blush spread across her cheeks. Howl was always like that, in some way or another he always managed to slip in unexpected comments that completely caught her off guard.

"I love it when you blush." He said and leant down to plant a sweet kiss on her lips. Sophie closed her eyes but by the time she reopened them he'd given her another small teasing kiss and was straightening. Still, with her face upturned Sophie was happy and he tapped the tip of her nose fondly with his finger.

"Now, I think that is a very good start to our happy ever after." Howl said engagingly. Sophie half expected him to give a small bow since he did have a flair at being dramatic.

"There is such a thing?" She gasped with feigned surprise.

Howl looked quite taken aback. "Of course there is!" And so with his arm around her shoulders they looked out into the world as the castle continued to float across the serene landscape.

That sadly, was the third and last day of Sophie's ever after, for from this point onwards her life was to be turned all topsy turvy with all the messy higgedly piggedly bits in between.

The very next day they arrived in Prince Justin's Northern Border. From her new garden Sophie could see that it was heavily guarded and she did not like the atmosphere surrounding them at all. Even as the castle lowered to ground level and Howl stepped smoothly off the last step she could not help but feel he would be met with a hostile greeting.

"Stay here, Sophie. You too Markl." Howl had said to them prior to leaving.

"Is something the matter?" Sophie asked anxiously.

Howl's smile did not for a second falter as he reassured her. "Not at all. Calcifer will get grumpy without you to make a fuss out of him."

"But-"

"Stay." He said firmly and kissed the tip of her nose and then her forehead. Without another word he spun and was out the door before Sophie could react.

"Grrr…" Sophie hated it when he did that. He could charmingly flick off a fly and still make it feel like a queen if he so wished and she certainly stood no chance in putting up a fight.

_Fine!_

In defiance Sophie ran to the garden where she would be able to see everything clearly and that was where she stood now watching all that was exchanged below.

Howl inclined his neck graciously to a fierce looking General who greeted him with a brisk handshake.

"I beg your pardon Master Pendragon." He was saying to Howl, his thick moustache twitching as he spoke. "But we must conduct a thorough search in your castle before we can let you through."

Markl who stood beside Sophie holding Heen, hitched the podgy dog up to get a better hold. "He's not allowed to do that is he, Sophie? We were invited by Turnip Head, he can't search the castle 'coz we're his special guests."

"It's Prince Justin and not Turnip Head." Sophie corrected before answering his question. "He's the General so I think he can but I'm not sure Howl will let him." An indignant fiery huff from Calcifer could be heard through the open door. "And I'm sure Calcifer would have a word or two as well." She added.

"If I weren't so busy holding the Castle up I'd fly right down to the silly man and set him alight!" The demon shouted from the grate.

Sophie laughed. "That probably isn't too good of an idea."

"What? If you were still old I bet you would have marched straight down there and given him a thought or two about invading our castle with your walking stick!" The demon retorted. "You are so much more prudent now that you are young again!"

Again Sophie laughed. The demon was right, indeed had she still been old she might have done exactly that. "I might have done." She admitted. "But I'm sure Howl can be a lot more diplomatic than me hitting the general with a walking stick!"

Below Howl was shaking his head apologetically. "I'm afraid that that is not possible."

The General, who was already motioning for his soldiers to come forward, froze. "Not possible?" He repeated incredulously.

"Not possible." Howl reiterated.

Now, the General was not a man to be trifled with. Twenty years he'd pledged his life to the army and in those twenty years he was recognized for his courage, rigorousness, strictness and finally for his authority; in short he was a man who was used to being obeyed.

"Of course it's possible!" He bellowed at a terrifying volume. For being a man of a short stature he was stout and very intimidating. Unfortunately for him Howl was amazingly resilient to intimidation.

"Search!" The General ordered. A group of five men shouldered their weapons and began to march towards the castle.

"I'm sorry but I said that it is not possible." Sophie saw Howl raise his hand and gesture with his finger much like he did the first time she met him. The five men stopped in mid march immediately and stood rod straight. On cue Calcifer slammed the front door close behind him clearly indicating that the castle was strictly out-of-bounds.

"I said search!"

"But Sir!"

"We can't move!"

"What the devil-?" The General was not a man of magic and he did not respond well. "Ready your weapons!" He yelled.

Sophie gasped. They couldn't shoot Howl!

"It looks like all your guns are jammed." Howl said calmly, completely unfazed by the dozen or so guns pointing at him. The soldiers began to exchange looks of uncertainty. "Oh and it looks like your weapons are too heavy as well." As one every last weapon thudded to the ground as its weight grew to a tonne each in the same instant Howl uttered the words.

"Now, if you'll excuse me gentlemen." Howl politely inclined his neck once more. "We'll be on our way now." He said opening his arms wide. "Good day." A gust of wind started just as his feet left the ground. The soldiers, unable to retrieve their suddenly heavy weapons stepped back with open mouths while the General stared at the wizard in horror.

"Black magic!" He yelled. "Evil Sorcery!"

"Oh please!" Markl rolled his eyes. "It's just a simple spell!"

Upwards Howl flew until he was level with the Garden and he landed in front of Sophie with a light step. "Come Calcifer, let us move so that they may close their mouths. We cannot be rude now can we?" He said lightly the sarcasm in his words almost undetectable.

Calcifer did not need to be told twice. With a forceful jerk the castle steamed upwards so fast that Sophie felt as if her heart had dropped to her stomach.

"Hmmm…" He murmured thoughtfully once the castle steadied its course in the sky. "I thought that I told you two to stay inside."

"Howl!" She wrapped her arms around him in a death hug. "And you said 'stay here' but you didn't say where 'here' was."

He chuckled. "Being able to breathe must be nice." He said playfully.

Sophie released him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I like it when-" Whatever it was that he liked was cut off by Calcifer yelling from his grate

"Howl!"

With a sigh Howl ruffled Sophie's hair and patted Markl as he went inside to speak to the fire demon. Sophie was left behind and she exchanged a worried glance with Markl. Prince Justin's invite had been friendly if urgent. Why then were the borders so heavily guarded and the soldiers so hostile?

"It'd be fine." Markl said reassuringly while he scratched Heen's tubby belly. The dog didn't seem to mind being carried like a baby and he gave a happy wheezy bark. "You weren't here that time he had to get away from this witch."

"The Witch of the Waste?"

"No, this was another witch. One that he was seeing for a while."

"Oh." Sophie said, she decided that she didn't really want to know any details of that particular incident but couldn't help but hopefully ask. "No slime?"

"Nah that was some other girl who dumped him. This was the witch _he _dumped, now she was scary." The boy said and went after Howl leaving Sophie to wonder.

_Just how many girls were there?_

_- - -_

**A/N: **Whoooo! First chapter! Let me know what you think!


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